* Bloomberg…

Illinois is planning to sell $725 million in bonds backed by sales tax revenue for capital projects, according to a filing.

The state, the lowest-rated among peers, issued on Friday a voluntary notice of the potential sale of so-called Build Illinois Bonds, which are among the main sources of funding for its long-term capital budget — helping to pay for roads, bridges, technology and other infrastructure investments.

The possible deal comes as Gov. JB Pritzker and the state legislature negotiate the details of the roughly $55 billion spending plan he laid out last week. His fiscal 2026 budget includes earmarking $500 million to address a “long overdue capital need” to demolish unused properties and turn them into sites for attracting business and residential developments.

Proceeds from the sale of the bonds would go toward capital expenses and the cost of issuing the debt.

* Click here for some background. CBS…

The Supreme Court on Monday turned away two appeals from abortion rights opponents asking the justices to overrule a 25-year-old decision that allowed for buffer zones around abortion clinics, leaving that ruling in place. […]

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have granted the requests to hear the cases. In a dissent from the Supreme Court’s denial of the appeal in one of those disputes, involving an ordinance passed by the city council in Carbondale, Illinois, Thomas said the high court should make clear that its 2000 decision “lacks continuing force” and should be explicitly overturned. […]

The ordinance enacted in Carbondale came just six months after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority rolled back the constitutional right to abortion. Known as the “Disorderly Conduct Ordinance,” the restriction was put in place in response to the high court’s ruling, as reproductive health care clinics in the city reported an uptick of threats and acts of intimidation by people protesting abortion access. […]

The ordinance took effect in January 2023 but was repealed several months later. The Carbondale City Council said it had not been enforced against any potential violator.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Cook County moves to change how it offloads delinquent taxes: The bill, backed by county Treasurer Maria Pappas, calls for an open auction after a tax sale, through which a property owner could recoup some of its value. As it stands today, people who buy a home’s unpaid taxes can eventually get the deed simply by paying late property taxes and fees, effectively pocketing the home’s value. Pappas may not have much choice but to seek changes. The Supreme Court recently sided with a Minnesota homeowner who lost her condo because of overdue taxes. Her attorneys successfully argued that systems similar to Cook County’s rob delinquent homeowners of equity. A similar local lawsuit from Cook County property owners is seeking class-action status.

* WTVO | It will soon be easier to get a car loan in Illinois thanks to new electronic lien and title system: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias made the announcement Monday that Illinois will join 25 other states that have active Electronic Lien and Titling available when purchasing a vehicle from a participating dealer. “An electronic lien and titling program will make the process of buying a car significantly faster, more convenient and more secure than the paper system. What used to take months can be done with a few clicks, dramatically reducing the ‘Time Tax’ customers were forced to pay when titling a vehicle,” said Giannoulias. “Implementing new technology strategically enables our office to create efficiencies and benefit consumers. These investments are crucial to providing convenience, but more importantly security, for our customers and their data.”

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Trump and Musk take aim at Loop’s Kluczynski, Metcalfe buildings: The Trump administration is planning to shed half of the office space it occupies in Chicago and Illinois, with two huge properties, the John C. Kluczynski Federal Building and Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, heading the list of structures on the chopping block. That’s the word from Chicago U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a ranking Democratic member of the House Appropriations Committee, whose district is home to thousands of federal workers whose jobs have been or are being eyed for elimination.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Parents Defending Education challenges Chicago district’s Black Student Success Plan as discriminatory: An out-of-state advocacy group filed a federal antidiscrimination complaint challenging Chicago Public Schools’ Black Student Success Plan the day after the district released its long-awaited blueprint. Parents Defending Education, which has challenged race-based initiatives and the teaching of topics involving race and gender in schools, submitted a complaint to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, asking it to block the five-year plan’s implementation. It invoked the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision banning the use of race as a factor in college admissions, and a “Dear Colleague” letter from the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights late last week warning school districts to halt any race-based initiatives or risk losing federal funding.

* WTTW | City Has $142M Left in Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds After $87M Cuts to Balance 2025 Budget: City officials would have an additional $87 million to spend on a host of programs — including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans — but the Chicago City Council used those funds to balance the city’s 2025 budget and avert a property tax hike. That means the City Council reduced the amount of federal money available to the city to fuel a wide variety of social service programs until the end of 2026 by nearly 38% to balance the city’s budget without a single sentence of debate about what those cuts will mean for Chicagoans who have yet to regain the ground they started to lose five years ago.

* Crain’s | United Center owners buy more lots for 1901 Project: A venture led by the Reinsdorf and Wirtz families, which co-own the Near West Side stadium, paid about $11 million late last month for a pair of properties along the elevated Chicago Transit Authority tracks east of the arena, according to Cook County property records. The entity purchased the sites from an affiliate of longtime parking lot operator Peoples Stadium Parking.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Jury selection underway in trial of accused Highland Park parade shooter: It began with Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti admonishing prospective jurors to “keep an open mind, a mind that is free of any misconceptions” and “resist jumping to conclusions” as questioning began shortly before 11 a.m. […] By 12:15 p.m., three jurors had been selected. Juror selection continues this afternoon. Testimony is expected to begin at 9 a.m. Monday, March 3.

* Daily Herald | Batavia deciding how to spend $200K from single-use bag tax: City council members began reviewing proposals from prospective candidates vying to execute those green initiatives at the Feb. 11 Committee of the Whole meeting. At the meeting, committee members heard from four applicants. Two would conduct energy audits and rebates for residents, and two others would execute a public education campaign and design the city’s branded reusable bags.

* CBS Chicago | Oak Park, Illinois seeks to regulate hemp-derived THC products: Leaders in Oak Park, Illinois, want to crack down on products made from hemp that contain THC. […] Oak Park village trustees will introduce an ordinance next month that would set the minimum age for purchasing hemp-derived products containing THC to 21.

* WGN | Family of young journalist struck, killed by train sues Metra: The suit is seeking damages and family previously said they hope safety changes are made to prevent future incidents. Both Metra and the South Shore Line had no comment, citing pending litigation.

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | Small number of probationary staff dismissed with Marion VA Health Care System, VA official reports: This coming after 1,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees were reported to have been dismissed nationwide on February 13. A representative with the VA shared a statement by the VA Press Secretary for the VA facility in Marion. The statement is below… “The Marion VA Health Care System has dismissed a small number of probationary staff. This decision will have no negative effect on Veteran health care, benefits or other services and will allow VA to focus more effectively on its core mission of serving Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors. We cannot discuss specific personnel matters due to privacy concerns.”

* WJBD | School insurance trust drops $7 million in the red: An insurance trust utilized by 80 school districts in the state, mostly in Southern Illinois, has fallen $7 million in the red due to higher-than-expected medical claims and drug costs. The Salem Grade School District is one of the districts impacted. Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe told the school board Thursday night says a lot of school officials are not happy. The trust has come up with a plan to charge an extra assessment to each district, which would amount to $108,000 to the Salem Grade School district.

*** National ***

* AP | Scholarships suspended at NC A&T, other HBCUs for students in agriculture via 1890 Scholars Program: The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Program, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities, known as the 1890 land grant institutions. It’s not clear exactly when the program was suspended, but some members of Congress first issued statements criticizing the suspension of the program on Thursday.